A Very Kotler Christmas
My gift to you: The ultimate Historic Crimes Preferred Reading List
Recently, a reader emailed asking me if I could give him a reading order for my Kotler books that included the Alex Kayne books, since they cross over. This was an interesting question—because I go out of my way to write every book so that it can be read apart from the larger series. But I get that,for some folks, there’s still that itch in your brain that makes you want to read everything in order. I’m like that, myself.
So, this is probably way overdue. But I’ve pulled the “definitive” preferred reading order together, and I’m presenting it here! Just in time for Christmas.
The Brass Hall (May 2016) - Dan Kotler - Short story, often considered #0.5 in the series.
The Coelho Medallion (May 2016) - Dan Kotler - Kotler's first full adventure introduces the archaeological mystery format.
The Atlantis Riddle (May 2017) - Dan Kotler - Expands Kotler's world of historical riddles and secret organizations. Sets up future exploration of ancient technologies.
The Girl in the Mayan Tomb (January 22, 2018) - Dan Kotler - Introduces significant Mayan history ties that will echo in future archaeological discoveries.
The Devil's Interval (March 2018) - Dan Kotler - Features high stakes and introduces themes that lead to The God Extinction.
The Antarctic Forgery (August 2018) - Dan Kotler - First major clue about hidden artifacts of global significance, foreshadowing The God Resurrection.
The Stepping Maze (November 2018) - Dan Kotler - Critical events unfold, tying back to The Coelho Medallion and setting the stage for Jani's appearance.
The Jani Sigil (March 2019) - Dan Kotler - A FREE short story, first appearance of the Jani, a significant antagonist group. This leads directly into their presence in The God Extinction.
The God Extinction (August 2019) - Dan Kotler - The Jani's influence becomes central, tying back to The Jani Sigil. Introduces global-scale stakes.
The Spanish Papers (November 2019) - Dan Kotler - A standalone mystery that deepens the Jani backstory and hints at unresolved dangers explored later.
The Hidden Persuaders (March 2020) - Dan Kotler - A psychological mystery that connects with the artifacts uncovered in earlier adventures.
The Man Below (May 2020) - Crossover: Dan Kotler & Alex Kayne - Kotler and Kayne team up for the first time, setting up cross-series cooperation.
The Bones of Saint Nicholas (August 2020) - Dan Kotler - Short story exploring religious relics and connections to The Demon Core.
Shaken (September 2020) - Alex Kayne - Alex Kayne's first solo adventure introduces the tech-focused thriller style of the series.
Triggered (October 2020) - Alex Kayne - Builds on Shaken, with Kayne’s conflict against powerful enemies escalating.
The Sleeper's War (November 2020) - Dan Kotler - Introduces a deeper geopolitical conspiracy that re-emerges in later books like The Forgotten Rune.
The Demon Core (February 2021) - Dan Kotler - Ties together threads from The Bones of Saint Nicholas and The God Extinction.
Compromised (August 2021) - Alex Kayne - Kayne faces significant personal stakes that lead into the events of Aftershock.
The God Resurrection (November 2021) - Dan Kotler - Follows the Jani arc from The God Extinction and introduces revelations about their true goals.
Aftershock (April 2022) - Alex Kayne - Kayne confronts the fallout from Compromised, with events directly setting up The Outsiders Gambit.
The Outsiders Gambit (September 2023) - Crossover: Dan Kotler & Alex Kayne - Second major crossover. Kayne and Kotler uncover secrets that reshape both their worlds.
The Templar Tunnel (March 2024) - Dan Kotler - Short story, leads up to the events of The Forgotten Rune. A crucial archaeological clue emerges.
The Forgotten Rune (May 15, 2024) - Dan Kotler - A turning point for Kotler, tying back to The Templar Tunnel and setting up future discoveries.
Doing this, though, has made me realize that there are a lot of ways to handle a “preferred reading order.” This one is purely chronological—it encompasses the Dan Kotler Archaeological Thrillers alongside Quake Runner: Alex Kayne and my crossover novellas that I publish under the series heading of Historic Crimes Crossovers. Every book, in the order it was written, and therefore in the order in which the whole story has evolved.
But there are other ways to parse these books. And now, that has me thinking of doing more of these reading lists in the future.
Want to help?
I’m thinking about themes to follow (such as the introduction and all the events tied to the Jani, or “Kotler’s family tree,” etc.). I could use some help with coming up with some of those. But maybe there are themes I’m not thinking of just yet, so if you have ideas, send them along!
I’m also pulling together a comprehensive list of all of my books, in chronological order but also broken down by series. And, since everything in my writing universe is connected in one way or another, I may eventually have to do the “Ultimate J. Kevin Tumlinson Preferred Reading Order.” Or something. TBD.
For now, I hope you enjoy this “Historic Crimes Preferred Reading Order” list! Let me know if there’s something here I should tweak, fix, or change. Or add... that might be a thing, too.
A NOTE AT THE END
This will be my LAST Substack post and newsletter!
Until after Christmas.
Yeah... sorry about that. I need to work on where I break up thoughts into new sentences.
But since this is the very last one (until after Christmas), I wanted to say that I am so very grateful for you.
Writing... it can be a lonely business. Solitary, much (most) of the time. It’s usually me and my anxieties, forcing fictional humans to endure challenges and pressures that would make me fold over and weep in a corner somewhere. When your life’s work revolves around imaging scenarios in which brilliant and good people go through some of the most heinous and bitter experiences a human can have, it can... warp your sense of things.
But what keeps me grounded and human—and frankly, keeps me coming back other than the keyboard every single day—is you. I do this for you. I do this because of you. If you didn’t read this stuff, didn’t buy these books, didn’t support me with dollars and eyes and attention... well, I’d probably still do this, if I’m honest. But I’d be doing it by writing on the backs of receipts I found dear my cardboard house, using discarded Bic pens and shooing away rats.
So I’m grateful.
You have no idea how grateful.
As we go into Christmas, celebrating with family and friends, I want to wish you the very best of this special season. May God bless you and keep you. May you experience joy and abundance in all that you do. And thank you for making me—curmudgeon, slightly warped thinker, guy who can’t stop thinking and writing and talking—a part of your life.
God bless you. And Merry Christmas.
Thanks for the reading order! A very Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Lol as long as you keep the storylines straight!